Teen Talk
A Tribute to a Remarkable Mother
By Stephanie Courtois
I am a girl who is blessed with a woman that put my needs before her own. I am blessed to have someone that cares about me so intensely that she goes out of her way to make my day a little brighter. I am so blessed that a person would make such sacrifices for a girl that she adores. That basically sums up my mother in just a few short sentences.
As a young girl, I always remember my mother there, physically and emotionally. She took off of work for my first four years of life to give me a quality childhood. In the city of Queens, New York, we traveled the streets together always with an exciting novel adventure that she would contrive. It did not matter whether we went to the grocery store or just took a stroll down Austin Street. The significance of my memories was that we were never separated.
One of my fondest memories, which have come of some use to me today, was our frequent strolls down the block of our apartment building. She would point to every parked car on the street and inform me of its logo whether it was a Mercedes-Benz or a Toyota. It did not take very long before I was able to walk on my own and label every single vehicle that we passed. Although it was a regular occurrence, it was a special part of my day that I looked forward to.
I am proud to be her daughter. She has had copious hardships regarding retaining a job and friends because of the many moves that our family has made throughout the years. The count is currently at six, since I have been born. She is dedicated to her family most of all. We come first and foremost. As an only child, I am fortunate that I did not have to share her with any siblings. I cherish that one-on-one time that we have spent and I would not trade it for anything.
To my dearest mother, Happy Mother’s Day! I love you and want you to know that I truly do appreciate all that you do for me. I feel that way every day, but don’t always express it.
To all of the sons and daughters out there, you only have one mother. Treat her well and respect her. Take Mother’s Day as a way to appreciate all of the efforts that she has made to raise you. Most notably, celebrate that Sunday as a family.
Stephanie Courtois is a junior at Wellington High School. She is involved in tae kwon do, French, National and Chemistry Honor Societies, and is the news editor for the school newspaper. She loves journalism and plans to continue working for a magazine in her career after college.